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iPad App Review: iPoe

App Name: iPoe

Cost: 99 Cents

What does it promise? A fully immersive, interactive rendering of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s finest works.

Does it deliver? In a big way. Much like the Dracula app, iPoe provides the original text set against a gorgeously animated backdrop. Snow falls behind the written word on one page, while the flicker of candlelight illuminates the words on another.

Unlike some other interactive book apps, iPoe offers the full, original text of the classic stories. These are not dumbed-down or abridged in any way. Additionally, the graphical elements and animations are subtle enough to draw readers into Poe’s world while still allowing them to use their imaginations.

The one drawback to the app is the lack of titles. The Tell Tale Heart is here, along with several others, but conspicuously missing is The Raven, arguably Poe’s most renowned work. While it’s understandable that animators and programmers were unable to cover Poe’s work in its entirety, users may still be left wanting more.

Can I use it in my classroom? Interactive book apps, when well executed like iPoe, represent the future of literature, especially among younger readers. iPoe deserves inclusion in any class covering the famed author’s work.